Batman made appearances through the city starting then, making his rounds
late at night when most of Gotham was asleep.
Most.
In less than a month Batman had been introduced to more criminals than he thought possible in the Gotham City. He'd never heard of them before, never would've guessed that there'd be people like them. But they were there.
Beside the usual Jokerz running rampant in the streets, there were gangs dressed to look like playing cards, a mad psychologist that could hypnotize anyone with a magic eyeball that he held in the palm of his hand- and a personal interesting favorite, Inque. She was a woman that could form into ink and disappear through vents and holes faster than Batman's flight.
Bruce Wayne had made a permanent home in Terry's cowl, speaking to him when there really wasn't much Terry could do during a lull in the crime fighting, and giving him advice while he was sleuthing. He was still a hard teacher, but Terry stuck through it, leaving the cave when the night was young and returning around five o'clock in the morning and getting home in time for a good two hours of sleep. His mom never pressed to find out exactly what kind of 'work' Terry did for Mr. Wayne, and he appreciated it. Matt however, asked all the time, and Terry had to come up with lame reasons just to get him off his back.
His social life was suffering a bit though. Being Batman had taken away all his evenings, and he never got to spend time with Dana anymore. She knew about his 'job' and everything, but she still missed him. And it was Max who carried the message to him one morning before school started.
"She's feeling a bit---neglected, Terry," Max told him at his locker, "maybe you should start giving her a little more attention."
"I'm sorry," Terry said, stifling a yawn, "I've tried explaining to her about the job-"
"She knows about the job, but even that is taking up way too much of your time. A job can't possibly keep you that busy."
*Nah. Try twenty-four hours a day busy.*
"Okay Max, I'll talk to her, okay?" He closed his locker, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I got to go."
He turned and walked down the hallway toward his classroom, leaving her standing there and watching him walk. She frowned slightly, then shrugged and turned away.
Dana was the real problem with this whole dress-up shtick. It prevented him from really getting to spend time with her, and he knew she noticed. The problem was, he didn't know how before she'd find out the truth or worst, stop the relationship.
He spent the next hour sleeping through History class. He scrawled down what notes he could remember then usually falling back into a half-asleep stupor as the teacher droned on. He was more than glad when the final bell rang and he could get out of there.
"Hey Terry!"
The voice rang out through the busy hallways and Terry stopped long enough to look around. In the distance he could see Jared coming his way.
"Hey, what's up?" Terry greeted him, "I was just about to head over to the old man's place."
"You've been busy, haven't you?" Jared asked, stopping in the middle of the hallway to talk to him. "You get paid well though, right?"
"Well enough."
"Well that's good. Think you can blow him off later this evening to join us at Salita's? Party the night away, I think you need it."
Jared was right. Terry looked pretty sloshed at that moment. "I'll see," he told him. "If I can't I'll see you here on Monday."
"Dana's going to be there."
Terry hesitated. "Yeah I.figured she would. I'll see. See you later."
"Yeah, later," Jared said, but he looked at Terry strangely as Terry turned and walked out through the front doors toward the parking lot. Terry hated having to leave his friends all the time, but it was one of the sacrifices he had to make.
Later that night found Batman up in the sky in the Batmobile, making his rounds of the city. He had only made two stops that night. The first one was to save a woman from two mobs in the street, and the second was to stop the Jokerz from breaking into the Creds Bank.
He checked the clock positioned above the front viewer. It was eleven o'clock at night. He felt his stomach hollow as he thought of his friends at Salita's, partying the night away. It felt like so long since he had been down there with him.
But that wasn't what he was worried about at the moment.
"Hey Bruce." He said.
There was a long silence in the earpiece. Then the gruff voice answered.
"What."
"What led up to the stock market crash of '07?"
Bruce sighed heavily. "What makes you think I know that?"
"You were there, weren't you?"
Bruce's voice tightened. "Keep your attention on the city, Terry."
"I am. Don't you know what caused it?"
"People withdrew their stocks. Enough said."
"Yeah but-"
"Concentrate on what's below you." Bruce was starting to sound exasperated. "We've gone through this several times."
"But I have a history test tomorrow," Batman objected, "I need to know, that's it. Just the cause for the crash and then I'll stop asking questions I promise."
"No."
"What do you mean no?"
"I don't know."
Terry turned the bat mobile slightly, maneuvering smoothly between two commercial buildings. "I think you do."
"I don't."
"Sure you do. You're Bruce Wayne. You're supposed to know everything."
"I do."
"Then what's the reason for the-"
"Terry."
"What?"
"Just drive."
Max put down the phone angrily. She was standing in the front room of her house, dressed in her club outfit, and she had no ride to get to Salita's.
She had tried calling Jared for a ride, but he was already gone and his cell phone was busy. Then she had tried Dana's, but her phone was off. Then she tried Terry's and for some reason he wasn't answering.
Her parents weren't home and her sister was in a different state completely. So they weren't any help.
She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder, checking the cash credits inside. The club was only a couple of blocks away she could walk. Then maybe Jared could give her a ride home from the club later that night.
Tucking her cell phone into her purse she turned and opened the front door, stepping out into the night.
Dana sat at one of the tables in Salita's, her hands cupped around a drink in front of her. She was alone, watching the couples on the dance floor, looking dejected.
She didn't know why she came here anymore. Usually it was to meet Terry and then they'd be the ones tearing up the dance floor, but not lately. Now he was usually nowhere to be seen, sleeping in class and then tearing off and disappearing after school. She had tried calling him so many times but she never got through. And during the few times she called his house, his mother always told her he was out or working with Mr. Wayne.
"Just what is he *doing* for Mr. Wayne?" she wondered out loud.
"I have no idea," a voice materialized out of nowhere, and she looked up as Jared sat down across from her. He looked slightly flushed, having just gotten off the dance floor. "That's what everyone would like to know," he said. "So what's up with you? Why aren't you having any fun?"
She sighed, looking over the crowd. "It just doesn't seem.worth all that anymore."
"Come on," Jared said comfortingly, "you don't need Terry to have fun. Just go out there. I'll dance with you."
She smiled. "That's okay. I don't really feel like dancing."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Well no. Not really."
He laughed. "That's okay. If you feel up to it just come join us."
"Thanks."
He started to get up to leave, when a loud noise erupted from the front of the club. People screamed and Dana and Jared looked up, craning their necks to see what happened.
"What happened?" she shouted over the yells.
"Jokerz!" someone screamed through the crowd, and Dana's eyes widened, stepping back. A whole crowd of Jokerz was standing in a gaping hole in the middle of the wall where the entrance once was. The leader was standing in front, a wide grin on his face as he looked around.
*"Yeeeeaah! Let's get this party started!"* He shouted. Then he burst into laughter.
Batman was turning the mobile for another run over the northern sector of Gotham when the alarm started beeping on the control panel. He glanced down briefly long enough to look at the installed map directly below his eye level. A section of the map was lit, the red light pulsating just a couple of miles away from his coordinates.
"Where is it?" Bruce asked through the cowl.
Batman checked the read-outs and immediately recognized the location.
"Salita's," he told him. "I'm on it."
He jerked the controls a little rougher than he had intended and the mobile spun in the opposite direction. Regaining his course he took off toward the nightclub.
No one was dancing.
The music was still playing, but hardly anybody noticed. Dana had lost Jared somewhere in the crowd, and in the background she could hear Blade yelling something indistinct.
"Hey!" The leader of the Jokerz shouted, jumping farther into the room. His make-up distorted his face, making his smile look wider than natural. Behind him more Jokerz were dressed the same; loud outfits, bright make-up, and all were carrying weapons.
"What happened?" the leader asked loudly, running his fingers through his green hair. "The party died or something? You guys suck at having fun!"
Behind him the Jokerz howled with laughter, even though Dana couldn't see what was so funny. The leader walked farther into the room and behind him the Jokerz followed, looking at the people with wide smiles.
"Maybe we should.you know.liven it up for you?" The leader's smile widened even more (if it were even possible) and he held out what looked like a large firecracker. He sparked the end and it started fizzling in his hand.
"Come on everyone!" he shouted, "party!"
He threw the firecracker and it sailed through the air toward the DJ stand. People screamed and darted out of the way as the firecracker made contact with the stand. Sparks flew and it exploded, sending people staggering from the noise.
One particular man tried to run for it. He hurried through the crowd toward the entrance, maybe trying to get around the Jokerz, but it didn't work. One of the bulkier, bigger Jokerz grabbed hold of him.
"Hey," the Joker called out to the leader, "look."
The leader looked back, startled to see the man. The man looked to be only twenty-five years old wearing a big black leather jacket. The leader raised his eyebrows.
"This guy doesn't want to have any fun!" he said mockingly, jumping in front of him. "What should we do with him?"
There was a ripple of indistinct murmurs through the crowd, but the leader seemed to listen only to what the Jokerz had to suggest. Reaching into his bright purple jacket pocket he took out a bright orange pair of scissors.
"That's an excellent idea," he said to one of the Jokerz, snipping the scissors. The man was whimpering now, unable to break away from their hold. The leader stepped forward, the same smile plastered on his face.
"Let's say we.make you a part of the gang!" he suggested merrily, snipping the scissors. "First let's fix that little smile of yours."
"No," Dana whispered, stepping forward. She looked around, but no one was doing anything. Someone had to do something. In front of her she could see Jared watching. He was fidgeting and she had the feeling he was going to do something-
The black blur came from nowhere. Dana almost wasn't sure what she had seen until it went past and the leader of the Jokerz was on the floor, scissors gone. She blinked in surprise as a figure appeared dressed in black, the emblem of a red bat emblazoned on its chest. She stared in disbelief as the figure attacked the Jokerz and for a moment she couldn't see what was going on through the mass of people in front of her.
"What's happening?" she heard someone call out, and she turned to see Chelsea Cunningham standing beside her, craning her neck to see what was going on.
"It's the Batman," she heard someone say, and she searched desperately to see him. The figure was almost too fast to see, but it looked like he was winning-
Gunshots fired through the air.
People screamed, throwing themselves to the floor. Dana could feel herself being pulled down but she hesitated, looking up as Batman vaulted up against the wall and over the crowd of Jokerz, releasing two batarangs from his wrist launchers.
She couldn't stop staring. The site of him was fascinating.
Batman didn't stop moving as the gunshots continued to fire. The leader was the one firing and he was shouting something as he followed the Bat through the air. Batman unleashed the jetpack from the bottom of his boots and propelled through the air, releasing wings beneath his arms to give him aviation. He twisted around and came flying back to the leader, slamming into him from the front.
Dana could hear surprised gasps and murmurs coming from around, and she continued to sit there and watch as Batman moved, attacking the Jokerz. Before she knew it, half of them were down.
The other half were running.
Batman stood there for a moment, watching them run from the entrance. In the distance police sirens were wailing. The people in the nightclub were slowly sitting up, but Dana got to her feet.
Batman surveyed the room, and his eyes rested on her. For a moment she couldn't breathe, feeling her breath catch in her throat as she felt his heavy gaze on her. Then, almost as quickly as it had happened, he was gone.
He had released the jetpack from his boots again and had disappeared through the hole in the wall, lifting up into the sky. She tried to step forward, but her pathway was blocked as people started getting up. She stood there for a moment, unable to move, then looked around, trying to find her friends.
Max quickened her pace. The club was just around the corner and the faster she got there, the sooner she'd get off the streets.
She stopped suddenly when gunshots rang through the air. They were loud and close and for a moment she thought they had come from Salita's. Remembering that her friend's were already there, she started on a slow run, tightening her jacket.
She had rounded the corner just in time to hear more gun shots and screams coming from the nightclub. A gigantic hole had been blown out of it and she could see the silhouettes of people from inside. Grunts came from inside along with flesh hitting flesh, and then a whole crowd of people came pouring out through the hole.
She stood there, uncertain. What happened?
Then she recognized the people coming her way. The Jokerz.
Eyes widening, she looked around desperately for a hiding place. It was too late though and the gang was on top of her. And they had seen her.
"Get her!" she heard someone yell, and hands grabbed on to her, pulling her into the dark alley. She screamed, struggling to fight back, but they were too strong and she couldn't get away.
"No!" she screamed, "no! Help! Someone help me!"
Batman was just climbing back into the bat mobile when he heard the screams.
They were coming from just a couple of blocks away, toward Salita, and they sounded familiar.
Through the darkness he could hear the shrewd laughter of the Jokerz, accompanying the screams.
"What's going on?" Bruce asked suddenly through the transmitter.
Batman strapped himself in and turned the mobile back toward Salita's. That voice sounded so familiar.who could it---?
"Max," he realized suddenly, and he pushed forward on the controls. The bat mobile leapt forward and he tore through the sky in her direction.
Paxton Powers was uneasy. It was the only way he could describe it.
He paced the length of his office, stopping every few moments to look out the picture window overlooking Gotham or to glance at the closed door. His hair was tousled and his suit was slightly wrinkled. It looked like he hadn't slept in days.
When he grew tired of pacing he tried sitting at his desk, but even that wasn't enough for him. He jiggled his feet, tapping his pen anxiously against the desktop. He didn't notice the paperwork strewn out in front of him. He hadn't looked at in for awhile. He didn't think he'd be able to concentrate if he did.
Just when he thought he was going to go crazy the door opened. He jumped to his feet, smoothing the front of his shirt.
Derek Powers stood in the doorway.
To Be Continued---
Most.
In less than a month Batman had been introduced to more criminals than he thought possible in the Gotham City. He'd never heard of them before, never would've guessed that there'd be people like them. But they were there.
Beside the usual Jokerz running rampant in the streets, there were gangs dressed to look like playing cards, a mad psychologist that could hypnotize anyone with a magic eyeball that he held in the palm of his hand- and a personal interesting favorite, Inque. She was a woman that could form into ink and disappear through vents and holes faster than Batman's flight.
Bruce Wayne had made a permanent home in Terry's cowl, speaking to him when there really wasn't much Terry could do during a lull in the crime fighting, and giving him advice while he was sleuthing. He was still a hard teacher, but Terry stuck through it, leaving the cave when the night was young and returning around five o'clock in the morning and getting home in time for a good two hours of sleep. His mom never pressed to find out exactly what kind of 'work' Terry did for Mr. Wayne, and he appreciated it. Matt however, asked all the time, and Terry had to come up with lame reasons just to get him off his back.
His social life was suffering a bit though. Being Batman had taken away all his evenings, and he never got to spend time with Dana anymore. She knew about his 'job' and everything, but she still missed him. And it was Max who carried the message to him one morning before school started.
"She's feeling a bit---neglected, Terry," Max told him at his locker, "maybe you should start giving her a little more attention."
"I'm sorry," Terry said, stifling a yawn, "I've tried explaining to her about the job-"
"She knows about the job, but even that is taking up way too much of your time. A job can't possibly keep you that busy."
*Nah. Try twenty-four hours a day busy.*
"Okay Max, I'll talk to her, okay?" He closed his locker, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I got to go."
He turned and walked down the hallway toward his classroom, leaving her standing there and watching him walk. She frowned slightly, then shrugged and turned away.
Dana was the real problem with this whole dress-up shtick. It prevented him from really getting to spend time with her, and he knew she noticed. The problem was, he didn't know how before she'd find out the truth or worst, stop the relationship.
He spent the next hour sleeping through History class. He scrawled down what notes he could remember then usually falling back into a half-asleep stupor as the teacher droned on. He was more than glad when the final bell rang and he could get out of there.
"Hey Terry!"
The voice rang out through the busy hallways and Terry stopped long enough to look around. In the distance he could see Jared coming his way.
"Hey, what's up?" Terry greeted him, "I was just about to head over to the old man's place."
"You've been busy, haven't you?" Jared asked, stopping in the middle of the hallway to talk to him. "You get paid well though, right?"
"Well enough."
"Well that's good. Think you can blow him off later this evening to join us at Salita's? Party the night away, I think you need it."
Jared was right. Terry looked pretty sloshed at that moment. "I'll see," he told him. "If I can't I'll see you here on Monday."
"Dana's going to be there."
Terry hesitated. "Yeah I.figured she would. I'll see. See you later."
"Yeah, later," Jared said, but he looked at Terry strangely as Terry turned and walked out through the front doors toward the parking lot. Terry hated having to leave his friends all the time, but it was one of the sacrifices he had to make.
Later that night found Batman up in the sky in the Batmobile, making his rounds of the city. He had only made two stops that night. The first one was to save a woman from two mobs in the street, and the second was to stop the Jokerz from breaking into the Creds Bank.
He checked the clock positioned above the front viewer. It was eleven o'clock at night. He felt his stomach hollow as he thought of his friends at Salita's, partying the night away. It felt like so long since he had been down there with him.
But that wasn't what he was worried about at the moment.
"Hey Bruce." He said.
There was a long silence in the earpiece. Then the gruff voice answered.
"What."
"What led up to the stock market crash of '07?"
Bruce sighed heavily. "What makes you think I know that?"
"You were there, weren't you?"
Bruce's voice tightened. "Keep your attention on the city, Terry."
"I am. Don't you know what caused it?"
"People withdrew their stocks. Enough said."
"Yeah but-"
"Concentrate on what's below you." Bruce was starting to sound exasperated. "We've gone through this several times."
"But I have a history test tomorrow," Batman objected, "I need to know, that's it. Just the cause for the crash and then I'll stop asking questions I promise."
"No."
"What do you mean no?"
"I don't know."
Terry turned the bat mobile slightly, maneuvering smoothly between two commercial buildings. "I think you do."
"I don't."
"Sure you do. You're Bruce Wayne. You're supposed to know everything."
"I do."
"Then what's the reason for the-"
"Terry."
"What?"
"Just drive."
Max put down the phone angrily. She was standing in the front room of her house, dressed in her club outfit, and she had no ride to get to Salita's.
She had tried calling Jared for a ride, but he was already gone and his cell phone was busy. Then she had tried Dana's, but her phone was off. Then she tried Terry's and for some reason he wasn't answering.
Her parents weren't home and her sister was in a different state completely. So they weren't any help.
She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder, checking the cash credits inside. The club was only a couple of blocks away she could walk. Then maybe Jared could give her a ride home from the club later that night.
Tucking her cell phone into her purse she turned and opened the front door, stepping out into the night.
Dana sat at one of the tables in Salita's, her hands cupped around a drink in front of her. She was alone, watching the couples on the dance floor, looking dejected.
She didn't know why she came here anymore. Usually it was to meet Terry and then they'd be the ones tearing up the dance floor, but not lately. Now he was usually nowhere to be seen, sleeping in class and then tearing off and disappearing after school. She had tried calling him so many times but she never got through. And during the few times she called his house, his mother always told her he was out or working with Mr. Wayne.
"Just what is he *doing* for Mr. Wayne?" she wondered out loud.
"I have no idea," a voice materialized out of nowhere, and she looked up as Jared sat down across from her. He looked slightly flushed, having just gotten off the dance floor. "That's what everyone would like to know," he said. "So what's up with you? Why aren't you having any fun?"
She sighed, looking over the crowd. "It just doesn't seem.worth all that anymore."
"Come on," Jared said comfortingly, "you don't need Terry to have fun. Just go out there. I'll dance with you."
She smiled. "That's okay. I don't really feel like dancing."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Well no. Not really."
He laughed. "That's okay. If you feel up to it just come join us."
"Thanks."
He started to get up to leave, when a loud noise erupted from the front of the club. People screamed and Dana and Jared looked up, craning their necks to see what happened.
"What happened?" she shouted over the yells.
"Jokerz!" someone screamed through the crowd, and Dana's eyes widened, stepping back. A whole crowd of Jokerz was standing in a gaping hole in the middle of the wall where the entrance once was. The leader was standing in front, a wide grin on his face as he looked around.
*"Yeeeeaah! Let's get this party started!"* He shouted. Then he burst into laughter.
Batman was turning the mobile for another run over the northern sector of Gotham when the alarm started beeping on the control panel. He glanced down briefly long enough to look at the installed map directly below his eye level. A section of the map was lit, the red light pulsating just a couple of miles away from his coordinates.
"Where is it?" Bruce asked through the cowl.
Batman checked the read-outs and immediately recognized the location.
"Salita's," he told him. "I'm on it."
He jerked the controls a little rougher than he had intended and the mobile spun in the opposite direction. Regaining his course he took off toward the nightclub.
No one was dancing.
The music was still playing, but hardly anybody noticed. Dana had lost Jared somewhere in the crowd, and in the background she could hear Blade yelling something indistinct.
"Hey!" The leader of the Jokerz shouted, jumping farther into the room. His make-up distorted his face, making his smile look wider than natural. Behind him more Jokerz were dressed the same; loud outfits, bright make-up, and all were carrying weapons.
"What happened?" the leader asked loudly, running his fingers through his green hair. "The party died or something? You guys suck at having fun!"
Behind him the Jokerz howled with laughter, even though Dana couldn't see what was so funny. The leader walked farther into the room and behind him the Jokerz followed, looking at the people with wide smiles.
"Maybe we should.you know.liven it up for you?" The leader's smile widened even more (if it were even possible) and he held out what looked like a large firecracker. He sparked the end and it started fizzling in his hand.
"Come on everyone!" he shouted, "party!"
He threw the firecracker and it sailed through the air toward the DJ stand. People screamed and darted out of the way as the firecracker made contact with the stand. Sparks flew and it exploded, sending people staggering from the noise.
One particular man tried to run for it. He hurried through the crowd toward the entrance, maybe trying to get around the Jokerz, but it didn't work. One of the bulkier, bigger Jokerz grabbed hold of him.
"Hey," the Joker called out to the leader, "look."
The leader looked back, startled to see the man. The man looked to be only twenty-five years old wearing a big black leather jacket. The leader raised his eyebrows.
"This guy doesn't want to have any fun!" he said mockingly, jumping in front of him. "What should we do with him?"
There was a ripple of indistinct murmurs through the crowd, but the leader seemed to listen only to what the Jokerz had to suggest. Reaching into his bright purple jacket pocket he took out a bright orange pair of scissors.
"That's an excellent idea," he said to one of the Jokerz, snipping the scissors. The man was whimpering now, unable to break away from their hold. The leader stepped forward, the same smile plastered on his face.
"Let's say we.make you a part of the gang!" he suggested merrily, snipping the scissors. "First let's fix that little smile of yours."
"No," Dana whispered, stepping forward. She looked around, but no one was doing anything. Someone had to do something. In front of her she could see Jared watching. He was fidgeting and she had the feeling he was going to do something-
The black blur came from nowhere. Dana almost wasn't sure what she had seen until it went past and the leader of the Jokerz was on the floor, scissors gone. She blinked in surprise as a figure appeared dressed in black, the emblem of a red bat emblazoned on its chest. She stared in disbelief as the figure attacked the Jokerz and for a moment she couldn't see what was going on through the mass of people in front of her.
"What's happening?" she heard someone call out, and she turned to see Chelsea Cunningham standing beside her, craning her neck to see what was going on.
"It's the Batman," she heard someone say, and she searched desperately to see him. The figure was almost too fast to see, but it looked like he was winning-
Gunshots fired through the air.
People screamed, throwing themselves to the floor. Dana could feel herself being pulled down but she hesitated, looking up as Batman vaulted up against the wall and over the crowd of Jokerz, releasing two batarangs from his wrist launchers.
She couldn't stop staring. The site of him was fascinating.
Batman didn't stop moving as the gunshots continued to fire. The leader was the one firing and he was shouting something as he followed the Bat through the air. Batman unleashed the jetpack from the bottom of his boots and propelled through the air, releasing wings beneath his arms to give him aviation. He twisted around and came flying back to the leader, slamming into him from the front.
Dana could hear surprised gasps and murmurs coming from around, and she continued to sit there and watch as Batman moved, attacking the Jokerz. Before she knew it, half of them were down.
The other half were running.
Batman stood there for a moment, watching them run from the entrance. In the distance police sirens were wailing. The people in the nightclub were slowly sitting up, but Dana got to her feet.
Batman surveyed the room, and his eyes rested on her. For a moment she couldn't breathe, feeling her breath catch in her throat as she felt his heavy gaze on her. Then, almost as quickly as it had happened, he was gone.
He had released the jetpack from his boots again and had disappeared through the hole in the wall, lifting up into the sky. She tried to step forward, but her pathway was blocked as people started getting up. She stood there for a moment, unable to move, then looked around, trying to find her friends.
Max quickened her pace. The club was just around the corner and the faster she got there, the sooner she'd get off the streets.
She stopped suddenly when gunshots rang through the air. They were loud and close and for a moment she thought they had come from Salita's. Remembering that her friend's were already there, she started on a slow run, tightening her jacket.
She had rounded the corner just in time to hear more gun shots and screams coming from the nightclub. A gigantic hole had been blown out of it and she could see the silhouettes of people from inside. Grunts came from inside along with flesh hitting flesh, and then a whole crowd of people came pouring out through the hole.
She stood there, uncertain. What happened?
Then she recognized the people coming her way. The Jokerz.
Eyes widening, she looked around desperately for a hiding place. It was too late though and the gang was on top of her. And they had seen her.
"Get her!" she heard someone yell, and hands grabbed on to her, pulling her into the dark alley. She screamed, struggling to fight back, but they were too strong and she couldn't get away.
"No!" she screamed, "no! Help! Someone help me!"
Batman was just climbing back into the bat mobile when he heard the screams.
They were coming from just a couple of blocks away, toward Salita, and they sounded familiar.
Through the darkness he could hear the shrewd laughter of the Jokerz, accompanying the screams.
"What's going on?" Bruce asked suddenly through the transmitter.
Batman strapped himself in and turned the mobile back toward Salita's. That voice sounded so familiar.who could it---?
"Max," he realized suddenly, and he pushed forward on the controls. The bat mobile leapt forward and he tore through the sky in her direction.
Paxton Powers was uneasy. It was the only way he could describe it.
He paced the length of his office, stopping every few moments to look out the picture window overlooking Gotham or to glance at the closed door. His hair was tousled and his suit was slightly wrinkled. It looked like he hadn't slept in days.
When he grew tired of pacing he tried sitting at his desk, but even that wasn't enough for him. He jiggled his feet, tapping his pen anxiously against the desktop. He didn't notice the paperwork strewn out in front of him. He hadn't looked at in for awhile. He didn't think he'd be able to concentrate if he did.
Just when he thought he was going to go crazy the door opened. He jumped to his feet, smoothing the front of his shirt.
Derek Powers stood in the doorway.
To Be Continued---